A West Virginia representative has revealed the second victim of the horrific ‘terror attack’ on National Guard members in DC is ‘hanging on’.
National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed and Air Force Staff Sergeant Andre Wolfe, 24, was critically injured in the shooting by alleged gunman Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, in the nation’s capital on Wednesday.
West Virginia Representative Riley Moore told Fox & Friends on Saturday that he spoke to Wolfe’s family and confirmed that the service member was ‘hanging on.’
Moore said: ‘He is a fighter, and his family has told me that, time and time again, he is a fighter.’
The representative said that the family lived just 20 minutes away from him in West Virginia, and that they are ‘committed to service.’
‘His father is a deputy sheriff in the county next to mine and Andy wanted to follow in that footsteps and serve his nation as a National Guardsman,’ Moore explained.
The congressmen said that Wolfe’s family believes in the power of prayer and hopes that the nation will join them in praying for their son as he remains in critical condition.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey echoed a similar call, telling Fox & Friends on Saturday: ‘Andrew is fighting for his life right now, and his family and all of his friends, they’re trying to harvest as many prayers as possible from all across the country, all across the globe, to help him recover.’
Two National Guard members were shot last week when a gunman opened fire on service members patrolling a mass transit station in Washington DC
Sergeant Andrew Wolfe (second from the right) was critically injured in the attack, but Representative Riley Moore said he was ‘hanging on’ during an interview on Saturday
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was named as the suspect in the shooting and has been charged with murder
The governor added that the state has a tradition of military service, describing the DC attack as a ‘gut punch.’
As Wolfe fights for his life, his alleged assailant is expected to survive after a third guard member shot him.
Lakanwal is accused of ambushing the National Guard members as they were patrolling a mass transit station in DC.
Officials previously told reporters that the suspect used a handgun registered to a dead resident in Washington state to commit the attack.
Beckstrom was struck first and sustained at least two gunshot wounds. Lakanwal then allegedly took her weapon and continued firing, which struck Wolfe.
A third guard member shot at the suspect to end the attack. A spokesperson for the DC Metropolitan Police Department told reporters on Wednesday that Lakanwal had been sedated and placed on a ventilator after the shooting.
A law enforcement official told the New York Post on Saturday that he expected Lakanwal to live and to stand trial.
The official added that Lakanwal underwent surgery on Wednesday night after the attack.
Lakanwal is expected to survive the attack, while Wolfe is still in critical condition. The first victim of the attack, Sarah Beckstrom, succumbed to her injuries
Lakanwal is believed to have worked with the CIA and is an Afghan national. An investigation is ongoing into the motive of the attack
They didn’t elaborate on the type of surgery or specific injuries that the suspect sustained.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia for comment.
An investigation is ongoing on the attack and the suspect’s motives, but the US government previously announced that Lakanwal is an Afghan national who came to the country in 2021.
Authorities said that Lakanwal enlisted in one of the CIA’s Zero Units. The group was instructed to raid and kill or capture members of the Taliban, al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, and other terrorist groups.
According to Human Rights Watch, Zero Units were recruited, trained, and overseen by the CIA.
Human Rights Watch accused the militant groups of violating international humanitarian law by carrying out unjustified executions, attacks, and airstrikes.
The CIA has denied the allegations and said the group played a critical role in the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
When the Taliban seized control of the country, members of the unit were evacuated to the US due to humanitarian concerns.
The two victims of the attack were deployed in DC when they were struck by bullets. The suspect was also shot by a third National Guard member
Lakanwal received asylum in the US with his family and resided in Bellingham, Washington, according to the New York Times.
Investigators believe he traveled from his home in Washington state to DC before he carried out the attack.
After Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries, the US Attorney’s Office said Lakanwal would face a murder charge, two counts of assault with intent to kill, and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
